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Close finish in the Kuskokwim 300 at Bethel
Posted: Tuesday, January 25, 2011
BETHEL — The winning margin in the Kuskokwim 300 was just one minute.
Paul Gebhardt of Kasilof told the Anchorage Daily News he knew Mike Williams Jr. of Akiak was closing on him. But Gebhardt held off Williams’ charge just before dawn Sunday to claim the $20,000 top prize in the sled dog race.
Pete Kaiser was third among 16 finishers at his hometown in Bethel.
Gebhardt’s time of 39 hours, 17 minutes, 20 seconds makes him only the 10th of 32 previous winners to finish under 40 hours. He is a two-time Iditarod winner who said his goal for the Kuskokwim 300 was to train his dog team for the upcoming Iditarod.